REVIEWS OF THE IONIAN PSALTER

(Reprinted from the Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, Sept. 2006)
Very "user-friendly," this style was developed by Peter Hallock, who was organist and choirmaster of St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle for 40 years. It is a modified Anglican chant form consisting of sung verses that may be sung by cantor, ensemble, or choir. It is distinctive in employing the dramatic use of dynamics to emphasize the meaning of the text, and may be sung either with or without accompaniment.

Musicians, even those with relatively little experience, should have no problem bringing this style of psalmody to life after they become accustomed to it.

May Schwarz is Professor of Church Music and Director, M.A. in Church
Music, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH.

A test of the quality of music is its durability over time. We at Christ Church, Episcopal, Tacoma, have been singing the psalms of The Ionian Psalter for nearly fifteen years, and these artful settings still sound fresh to our ears. I can attest to an improved sight-reading ability of my choir as the result of regular usage of these psalm settings. Intonation and a stronger sense of ensemble has also improved, as has diction and appropriate text inflection. As Peter Hallock suggests, we first read the psalm aloud, following suggested dynamics, to gain a sense of the text content. Then after hearing the choral settings played through on the keyboard, the choir sings with the keyboard once, followed by another time sung unaccompanied. A few places sometimes require extra attention, often pointed out by various choir members. The choir then stands, and with the antiphon, sings through the entire setting. After several years of use, preparation time now averages about ten minutes, with a brief refresher rehearsal on Sunday morning prior to the service. I highly recommend the Ionian Psalter as a superb way for a choir to present the psalms within the liturgical framework of churches utilizing the three-year Lectionary. The congregation can easily sing the antiphon, aided by the short keyboard intonation that anticipates the melodic line to follow. While the choral settings of the Ionian Psalter may be sung with keyboard accompaniment, I find unaccompanied singing the ideal way to experience these creative settings.

David Dahl, Director of Music Ministries, Christ Church, Episcopal, Tacoma, WA

We Episcopalians seem to have a "love/hate" relationship to the Psalms in
our liturgies. Some of us happily sing them, and others insist on only
speaking them. If sung, we try out and dip into the many varieties of psalm
settings, some more accessible than others, and many more satisfying than
others. I have long been a crusader for and supporter and user of The Ionian
Psalter by Peter R. Hallock. This has been the case at three parishes where
I have served. After I experiment across a wide range of settings, I always
manage to return to the Ionian Psalter. This year A, my parish began
following the New Revised Common Lectionary for the first time, and I was
concerned that I would have to search far and wide for decent Psalm settings
of the changed psalms. And I was worried about the cost. But Peter Hallock
has anticipated the change along with his editor, Carl Crosier, and not only
provided the settings, but done so in an up to date and modern way by
producing a CD with all that one needs including the organ score, choral
parts, congregation inserts, and delightfully new, handbell parts to some of
the Psalms. And for this aging dinosaur who often eschews computer related
materials, I not only find the materials easy to use, but logical in their
presentations, and specific psalms easy to locate. Then I make the copies I
need. Hurrah for Ionian Arts, Inc., and hurrah to Peter Hallock and Carl
Crosier. This singing parish, choirs and congregation, always are pleased
when we have a Hallock setting for the psalm.

Judy Dodge, Director of Music and Organist,
St. Columba's Episcopal Church, Washington, DC